E-Help 9/23/2005
INCLUDES:
1. IRS
Mileage Rate Change
2. Pension Fund Accounting Services (Waukegan)
3. Responses Program to Calculate Step Increases (Huntley)
4. Responses Annual Pay and Merit Increases (Warrenville)
5. Treasurers Institute Nov 13-17, 2005 Holiday Inn, Decatur
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Subject: IRS Mileage rate change
The IRS recently upped the mileage reimbursement rate for the period of September 1 through December 31 2005 from 40.5 cents to 48.5 cents. It is covered under IRS news release IR-2005-99 and the detailed release can be read at www.irs.gov/newsroom/ and is also covered in Announcement 2005-71 http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-drop/a-05-71.pdf
Brad L.
Bettenhausen
Treasurer/Finance Director
Village of Tinley Park 708-444-5000 -5099 fax
bbettenhausen@tinleypark.org
As a general
update for my IMTA friends, the IRS just raised the mileage reimbursement rate
from .405 to .485 effective for all business related driving occurring 9/1/05 -
12/31/05.
http://www.govexec.com/dailyfed/0905/090905p1.htm
Erik Bush
ebush@warrenville.il.us
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PENSION FUND ACCOUNTING SERVICES
Mike,
My name is Cindy Tekampe and I am the Deputy Treasurer for the City of
Waukegan. I am also working part-time for the Police and Firemen’s Pension
funds. I cut the monthly pension checks and do some monthly accounting for
them. I am interested in finding out what other pension funds do for this
work. Do they hire someone part-time, full-time, or do they hire an accounting
firm, etc.? And how much do they pay for the services? Would you help me with
this research and send e-mails to other IMTA members that may be able to
assist?
I appreciate your help in this matter. If you have any questions, please e-mail or call me at 847-599-2569.
Thank you,
Cindy Tekampe
Cindy.Tekampe@ci.waukegan.il.us
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PROGRAM TO
CALCULATE STEP INCREASES
I am searching for some software or program that will assist me in pay plan
(step plan) calculations for the purpose of Union negotiations. I am looking for
a program that will calculate step reductions and cost out various scenarios for
multi-year contracts. Any recommendations? (I realize that I can create Excel
spreadsheets, but the setup is very time consuming and I don't have an
Accountant to help me).
Thanks,
Jennifer Chernak, Director of Administration, Finance and Human Resources
Village of Huntley
847/669-9600 ext 14
jchernak@huntley.il.us
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RESPONSE:
Regarding program for step increases. (Huntley)
Our payroll/HR software has the capabilities to do multiple "what if"
scenarios. However, it does take a fair amount of planning and up front setup
to get the "accurate" results you are looking for.
Prior to the new software, I utilized a couple of spreadsheets to extend calculations of payroll costs and impacts of increases. One schedule was set up with formulas to calculate the agreed upon percentage increases against the current hourly rates for the various step schedules we have in place. The spreadsheet was structured so that the percentage was dropped in one place and formulas did the rest. Some step schedules have had different percentages apply, and were structured similarly.
It sounds like you are looking at modeling various changes to the existing step tables, in addition to factoring increases under contract negotiation.
Quite frankly, I think it would be worth your while to take a little time to schedule out the list of affected employees to facilitate running multiple scenarios. Once you have the basic data, you can replicate the worksheet as a new tab for each new iteration and variation and rename the tab to identify.
Also, if you are looking at a specific group of employees, you might be able to short cut the process slightly by determining head counts of employees at each grade step. Then the rates and hypothetical increases could be formula calculated in bulk rather than by each specific individual.
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ANNUAL PAY AND MERIT INCREASES
In my
community, we offer annual "market" increases which usually equate to
3%. Actually, what we do is move the position range by a percentage, which
we call market, and maintain all employees within that position at their
respective place within that range. For instance, if you are at the top of
the range, then the range moves by 3%, you get moved 3% to maintain your
position at the top of the range.
THEN, we add a
merit component, which is derived from the employees
performance appraisal. This can range from 0-6% in a single year. Therefore,
with compounding, an employee can get an increase of a little over 9% in a
single year. 3% market, 6% merit.
We measure
"comparable" community salaries for like positions every two
years, and our direction is to maintain our salaries at the 50% percentile
of the range established in that study. It is in that study where we find
most ranges are adjusted annually by 3% or more, therefore the "market"
designation.
I am
interested in how you manage merit as a component of annual pay
increases. Do you give merit only? Do you, as we, adjust ranges, maintain
position within the range, and then add merit? Use the CPI to drive range
(COLA) increases and then add merit? Or something completely whacky?
Any input would be appreciated.
Thanks,
Erik
Warrenville
RESPONSE:
Pay and Merit -
We currently don't have "merit" in a formal program, unless I consider our
established steps for certain positions in that regard. Functionally, the steps
were designed to function as a merit system, but many have come to view the
steps as an entitlement (with the exception of bargaining unit employees, where
it in fact an entitlement by agreement) and unfortunately it generally has
functioned that way. Our "market/COLA/CPI" (whatever you want to call it) is
applied similarly across the step ranges. Thus, each year, the "gap" between
steps remains constant. However, the difference is that the "gap" is currently
fixed, and not flexible based on performance determinations. Obviously, we use
whatever percentage increase that was established under collective bargaining
for that group of employees and the related steps, but what is applied to the
rest of the employees may or may not be the same and is likewise based on an
assessment of "market" including looking at CPI, neighboring communities, and
other comparables. If we did do merit, the Warrenville methodology seems
logical. You can't logically apply the "market" factor to the merit range
Brad L.
Bettenhausen
Treasurer/Finance Director
Village of Tinley Park 708-444-5000 -5099 fax
bbettenhausen@tinleypark.org
To Erik
Lake County previously had a similar policy and the raises were given twice
a year. The SOL increase at the beginning of the fiscal year and the
performance increase at six months. We also increase the scale every year
based on a study and this was sometimes as high as 5%. Both of these process
was stopped in 2002 strictly because of budgetary concerns - the rise of hte
90's was over. Now all salary increases are based on merit (it is
conceivable to get no increase), I don't believe we have raised our scale
for at least two years and there is not any plan to do so in the future. I
congratulate that you have been able to provide such increases and continue
the increase of the range. Our average yearly increase for the past three
years has been under 4% and is based on what is available at budget time.
FYI, if you are at the top of the scale and have no room for an increase you
recive a bonus check of $1,500 (providing you evaluation would merit it)
Julie O'Brien
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5. TREASURERS
INSTITUTE:
November 13-17, 2005,
Location is listed as Decatur, IL Holiday Inn.
http://www.imtausa.org/inst.htm